However, the John depicted in the control condition had the highest ratings of sexiness of them all! Consistent with the prior study, women found dominant John more sexually appealing than submissive John. submissive), but they added a crucial control condition in which some participants only read the first three sentences of the description (see italics above). The researchers had 118 female undergraduates read the same descriptions of John the tennis player (dominant vs. submissiveness.Įnter a study by Jerry Burger and Mica Cosby. There seemed to be more to the story than just mere dominance vs. While they found that “dominance” was considered sexually attractive, “aggressive” and “domineering” tendencies did not increase the sexual attractiveness of either males or females. In a follow up study, the researchers isolated various adjectives to pinpoint which descriptors were actually considered sexually attractive. Taken at face value, this study seems to support the sexual attractiveness of the dominant alpha male over the submissive beta male. He enjoys the game of tennis but avoids highly competitive situations.Īcross four studies, the researchers found that the dominance scenarios were considered more sexually attractive, although dominant John was regarded as less likeable and not desired as a spouse. Strong opponents are able to psychologically dominate him, sometimes forcing him off his game. He is easily thrown off his game by opponents who play with great authority. He is not particularly competitive and tends to yield to opponents who have been playing tennis much longer. Although he plays well, he prefers to play for fun rather than to win.
His serve and his returns are consistent and well placed. Trending: Attention Fellow Book Nerds: You’ll Love These 4 Reads In contrast, here’s an excerpt of a scenario in which the same tennis player is instead depicted as “nondominant” (the first three lines, in italics above, were kept the same across conditions): He tends to psychologically dominate his opponents, forcing them off their games and into mental mistakes. All of his movements tend to communicate dominance and authority. He is extremely competitive, refusing to yield against opponents who have been playing much longer. In addition to his physical abilities, he has the mental qualities that lead to success in tennis. Despite his limited amount of training he is a very coordinated tennis player, who has won 60% of his matches. His serve is very strong and his returns are extremely powerful. He has been playing tennis for one year and is currently enrolled in an intermediate tennis class. The scenarios varied on whether the male acted “dominant” or “nondominant.” For instance, here’s an excerpt of a scenario in which the male was depicted as dominant:
The researchers presented their participants with videotaped and written scenarios depicting two men interacting with each other. So it’s really worth examining the link between so-called “alpha” behaviors (such as dominance) and attractiveness, respect, and status.Ĭonsider one of the earliest sets of studies on the relationship between dominance and attractiveness.
When we impose just two categories of male on the world, we unnecessarily mislead young men into acting in certain predefined ways that aren’t actually conducive to attracting and sustaining healthy and enjoyable relationships with women, or finding success in other areas of life. Not only does it greatly simplify the multi-dimensionality of masculinity, and grossly underestimate what a man is capable of becoming, but it also doesn’t even get at the heart of what is really attractive to women.Īs the expression goes, when all you have is a hammer, all you see are nails. This distinction, which is often based on observations among other social animals (such as chimpanzees and wolves) paints a very black and white picture of masculinity. Alphas are typically described as the “real men.” In contrast are the “Beta” males: the weak, submissive, subordinate guys who are low status, and only get access to mates once women decide to settle down and go searching for a “nice guy.” They have greater access to power, money, and mates, which they gain through physical prowess, intimidation, and domination. “Alpha” males are those at the top of the social status hierarchy. But one really persistent myth, that is literally costing human lives, is the distinction between “alpha” and “beta” males.Īs the story typically goes, there are two types of men. There are a lot of false dichotomies out there - left brain vs.
0 kommentar(er)
